Animal restraining device



March 6, 1954 E. J. BERSCHEIT 2,672,123

ANIMAL RESTRAINING DEVICE Filed Ma rch :5, 1952 Ernest J! Berscheir INVENTOR.

4 42 By gum Maw m Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE ANIMAL RESTRAINING DEVICE Ernest J. Be rscheit, Grey Eagle, Minn. Application March 3, 1952, Serial No. 274,583

This invention relates generally to a device for preventing animals standing with their hind hoofs or feet in the gutters normally provided at the entrances to animal stalls, and more particularly to a restraining device for installation in stall guttersof barns used for sheltering cows.

Some cows have the tendency of backing out of their stalls and standing with their hind feet in the gutter at the entrance to their stall with the result that their hind feet become soiled and contaminated from the foreign matter of the water flowing through the gutter. Inasmuch as the udders of cows rest on or touch their hind feet-when they lie down, their udders also become soiled and contaminated due to the contact with the hind feet of the cows. This condition not only necessitates the washing of the cows udder and teats but is frowned upon by the Department of Health inspectors who steadily check the conditions under which the milk supplied for a district is produced.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a improved animal restraining device for insertion in a stall gutter which will break a cow of the habit of standing in a stall gutter without injuringthe animal. 1

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved animal restraining device adapted for installation in a stall gutter which maybe stepped upon by an animal without damage thereto.

Another object of thi invention isto provide animproved grate for animal stall gutters which is'of simplified construction whereby it may be quickly and economicall manufactured of conventional materials.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved grate for insertion in animal stall gutters, said grate being adapted to. snugly fit in stall gutters of various widths.

A- further object of this invention is to provide an improved animal restraining device for insertion in stall gutters, said device being amply strong and durable, and at the same time readily portable and may be conveniently associated with or removed from a stall gutter and requires no hold-down means.

With these objects definitely in View, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of ele ments and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application and in which:

3 Claims. (01. 119-28) Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional view through a conventional dairy barn having a gut-i ter at the entrance to a stall, said gutter being illustrated with the improved animal restraining device, which is the subject of this invention, in-

stalled therein;

.. Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the animal restraining device of Figure 1, the outline of the stall gutter being illustrated by broken lines; a

. Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the animal restraining device the relationship of including the manner in which flexible members are secured to end portions ofthe device, and

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the section line 4-t of FigureZ and showing the manner in which an extension is adjustably secured to an end frame member in order that the restraining device of stall gutters.

Similar characters of reference. designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the different views of the drawings. l

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it .will be seen that there is illustrated in Figure 1 a portion of a floor of a. conventional dairybarn; said floor including a stall portion it which is;

separated from a runway l2 by a gutter I4.

Standing on the stall portion I0 is the rear of 9; I8 are illustrated as being Disposed within the gutter I4 is the improved animal re.-

cow 16 whose rear legs positioned adjacent the gutter l4.

straining device, which is the subject of this invention, the device being referred to by reference numeral 20 ter [4.

v The animal restraining device 20 is in the form of an elongated smaller diameter and telescoped within the tele-' Secured to the upper side of the member 26 at the free end thereof is a trans-' scope member 26.

versely extending is in spaced end frame member 28 which parallel relation to a similar end frame member 38 secured to the free end of the telescope member 26. It will be seen that the and the end frame members 28 and frame rail 22 30 form an I-shaped frame of varying length.

Rigidly secured to the upper surface of the end of Figure 2 and showing the various elements thereofmay snugly fit various widths? and intended to discourage the cow [6 from standing with its hind legs [8 in the gutframe member 28 in spaced parallel relation as by welding is a plurality of hooks 32 which face outwardly from the general area of the restraining device. Secured to the upper surface of the end frame member in alignment with the hooks 32 are a plurality of similar hooks 34 which also face away from th general area of the restraining device. Extending between the end frame members 28 and 3D in spaced parallel relation and secured the reto by engagement with their respective hooks 32 and 34 are a plurality of elongated flexible members 36 which are in the form of chains.

In order that the flexible members 36: may be maintained under tension, the telescoped members 24 and 23 forming the frame rail- 22* are resiliently urged apart by a coil spring 38 carried by the smaller telescoped member 24 and abutting the inner end of the telescoped member 26. The other end of the coil spring 38 abuts thetransversely extending cotter pin carried by the telescoped member 24 intermediate its ends. It will be understood that the compression of'thecoil spring 38 is such that the flexible me i-- bers 36 are normally maintained under tension,

but permits telescoping of the telescoped members 24 and 26upon the stepping of an animal on any'of the flexible members 36 in order that the flexible members 36 may give in lieuof being broken due to the weight of the animal.

The-end frame members 28 8% and their associated flexible members 36 are supported in spaced relationfromthe bottom of a stall gutter. such-as'the gutter M of Figure l by'the frame rail =22 resting on the bottom thereof. Inasmuch as the frame rail 22 is circular in cross section and positioned centrally of the width of the animal restraining device '20, it is obvious that the device will have a tendency to tip if an animal should step on "one side. prevent tipping of therestrainingdevice 23, the end frame members 28 and 38 have vertically extending rods 42 and 44, respectively, extending downwardly from their undersides adjacent'their ends. It will be understood that the rods 42:

and 44 are of such length so as to permit the frame rail- 22 to rest upon the bottom of the gutter l4" and at the same time maintain the end frame members 28 and 30 plane.

Inasmuch as stall widths'in different dairy barns, the "end frame members 28 "and '30 are each provided with an extension 46 in the form of a flat bar having a plurality of aligned apertures 45 therein. It'is' intendedthat the extensions 46 be adjustably secured-to-the end frame members :28 and .33 by selectively positioning said apertures 48 over bolts 50 carried by the end frame members andse cured thereto by nuts threadedly engaged theref on.- By adjusting the extensions 46 so that the combinedlength of the extending portions of each extension 46 and its'respective end frame member issubstantially equal to the width of the gutter for which the animal restraining de-;.

vice is intendedthe animal restraining device will snugly fit between the side walls of the gut-:

ter and be prevented from'shifting therein.

a It will be understood that the spacing of the flexible members 36 are such that when an animal steps backwa-rdly into the gutter l4, its hind feet will engage one of the flexible members 36 and annoy the animal. Inasmuch as the flexible member 36 will give upon being stepped upon by-theanimal, it is impossible for the-animal; to

In order td in a horizontal gutters areof different vice illustrated and described here, may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Havingdescribed the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1} In combination with an elongated stall gutter, an animal restraining device, said stall gutter having spaced side walls,- said animalrestraining device extending longitudinally filling the .space therebetween, said animal restraining device'i-neluding a pair of longitudinally spacedend frame members, said end frame members extending transverselyof said stall gutter, a frame rail extending between and secured to said end frame members intermediate their ends, said frame rail being formed of a pair of'telescoped members, individual articulated members'extending between said end frame members and having ends secured to said end frame membersspring means carried by one of said telescoped members urging said telescoped members apartto resiliently tension said articulated members, said end frame members being provided with adjustable ing central supports for'said end-frame members,-

depending pins carried by ends of said end frame member for engaging a bottom-of a stall gutter in spaced relation to said frame rail, saidframe rail-including a pair'of telescoped members, spring means carried by one of said frame members for urging said telescoped member and said end frame anembers apart, individual flexible members extending between and connected to said end frame members, said flexible members being resiliently tensioned by said spring means, said flexible members being in vertically spaced relation relative to said frame rail.

3. For use in a stall gutter an animal restraining device, said animal restraining device comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced end frame members, a longitudinally extending frame rail having-opposite ends secured to said .end frame members intermediate ends thereof, said-f-1'ame rail being intended to rest in a bottomof astall gutter and having ends underlying said end frame members and forming central supports for said end frame members, 4 depending pins carried by ends" of'said end frame member for engaging a bottom of a stall gutter spacedrelation to saidframe rail, said frame rail including a pair of telescoped members, spring means carried by oneof said'frame members forurging said telescoped member and said end frame members apart, individual flexible members ex tending between and connected to said end frame members, said flexible members being resiliently tensioned by said spring means, said flexible members being in vertically spaced relation relative to said frame rail, extensions adjustably secured to said end frame members for varying the effective width of the animal restraining device. said extension extending transversely of said frame rail and being engageable with a vertical wall for a stall gutter.

ERNEST J. BERSCHEIT.

6 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Perkins June 9, 1903 Malone May 12, 1908 Stephenson et a1. Mar. 4, 1913 Pielert May 20, 1913 Hotz Jan. 25, 1921 Evans June 27, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 16, 1933 

